Philippines, 12 Jul 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


NONITO LOOMS LARGER IN LOSS


PhilBoxing.com




In my long years following boxing, I must confess to having a hard time finding any fighter other than Nonito Donaire who came out with an even better image and credential after a major bout that he lost. Magnificently, I must add.

Nonito had been generally perceived as a fighter who has had his heydays in the elite ranks and now on an extended borrowed time. Worst, he is considered as a fighter with a still prominent name and scalp ready for the taking by any up and comer or any fighter or champion wishing to bolster their rising stock or improve further their fight resume and ledger.

Indeed, since losing ignominiously to Guillermo Rigondeaux in their super bantamweight title unification in 2013 and later, getting knocked out for the first time in his career by Nicholas Walters in their featherweight tussle bout in 2014, Nonito was perceived to be on a free fall. And, just a matter of time, on the way out in the manner of old lions in the face of challenge or defiance from younger beasts.

Decisive title losses to Jessie Magdaleno and Carl Frampton seemed to confirm this perception.

Heading towards his World Boxing Super Series bantamweight finals versus Naoya Inoue, Nonito was generally seen more as an extremely lucky than a still good, viable competitor.

It was probably providential that in the middle of 2018, he was seeded in the WBSS tournament, as eighth and last of the chosen viers, after he announced his return to the 118 lbs. weight class following a unanimous decision loss to Frampton in their fight for the WBC interim featherweight title earlier that same year.

He was just 3-2 in his last five fights with his last significant victory coming in late 2015 over Cesar Juarez for the WBO super bantam title---ironically stripped from his former conqueror Rigondeaux, the first of the lucky breaks that critics said would come his way going forward. But he would lose that same title by close decision a year later to Magdaleno after a single defense against an obscure Zsolt Bedak whom he iced in three rounds.

He was probably lucky that in the first round of the tournament he was paired against UK's Ryan Burnett who the organizers deemed as the top seed, notwithstanding Naoya Inoue and Zolani Tete who were then already rampaging more impressively through the bantamweight ranks. Inoue with his knockout win over Jamie McDonnell in his bantam debut and Tete with his dominant win over rated Arthur Villanueva and record setting earliest KO win over fellow South African challenger Siboniso Gonya.

But it was more than his luck that Burnett had to quit on his stool due to back injury after just five rounds with him. In my eyes, Ryan did not injure or re injure himself. Nonito was banging his body like bongo from the get go and that had more to do with his injury than the self infliction as advanced by the UK press, taken at face value by most other media, in an obvious face saving measure. Burnett, though, has recently announced his retirement from boxing due to recurrent back injuries.

He was probably lucky when his supposed WBSS semis opponent Zolani Tete had to pull out two days before their fight due to alleged late training injury (which was questionable, as fighters are usually just into light workouts at this stage, a case of jitters perhaps?)

But Nonito disposed off the late substitute, Stephon Young, as he should, sending the game and competitive but elusive Afro American to dreamland with his picture perfect left hook in the later round.

Ranged against The Monster Naoya Inoue, practically every boxing Tom, Dick and Harry said that Nonito had ran out of luck. Some were even betting that not even a strange stroke of luck could save him from the certain disaster that awaited him in Saitama, Japan.

For in Inoue, Nonito was fighting the most formidable and widely popular bantamweight, indeed pro boxer, ever produced by the Land of the Rising Sun since Masahiko Fighting Harada, and right in his own home turf, at that.

Inoue on his side of the WBSS tournament dispatched his opponents, ex champion Juan Carlos Payano and then IBF defending titlist Emmanuel Rodriguez in less than three rounds or total of nine minutes The ring smart Payano who had never visited the canvas before was counted out after smashed by an overhand right while Rodriguez, himself building a reputation as a ponderous puncher, was stopped after being downed, dazed and bloodied by a vicious one two combination from Inoue.

The odds were overwhelming 10-1 against Nonito and in favor of his more illustrious opponent, with only trainer manager Sam Garcia and columnist Anson Wainwright out of 25 experts polled by the Ring Magazine giving him a ghost of a chance to pull a gigantic upset.

Needless to say, we saw how that fight unfolded.

We saw Nonito not just surviving the dreaded onslaught of Inoue but dishing out the worst ever punishment on Naoya that only the Japanese huge pride and his smarts and his taking power --- and Nonito getting dog tired in the try---prevented an upset knockout.

Inoue rallied in the championship rounds, even scoring a late deciding knockdown to win by unanimous decision with two of the three judges surprisingly or shockingly giving him so much to spare.

But to many, save for the most rabid Inoue fanatics, who saw the fight, the scorecard of the American judge, Robert Hoyle, of 114-113 for Naoya, best reflected how that fight went down.

Without that fateful body punch knockdown he suffered in the 11th and penultimate round, Nonito indeed had the chance to win or at least a draw as far as the veteran American fight judge was concerned.

Inoue suffered a fractured eye socket and a broken nose. He was also cut in the upper right eye and probably suffered cuts inside the mouth as well as Nonito caught him flushed in many occasions. All these physical damages were comperently managed and even masked by his corner such that they were not apparent at the end of the brutal, grueling bout.

If it is a phyrric victory for Inoue remains to be seen in his next major assignment.

As for Nonito, the gallant stand and magnificent defeat made him an even bigger fighter than he was before, perhaps including in his elite prime.

His being a prime model as a clean boxer, the first and only fighter to enroll in 24/365 anti PED program of the VADA is now even being cited by many as a factor in his longevity and successful transition from fighting in the higher weights to his return as still a power to be reckoned with in the elite bantamweight division, notwithstanding his age.

Indeed, Nonito looms even larger in defeat in this last major fight against Inoue.

It is entirely up to Nonito where he goes next.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Taylor vs. Serrano Trilogy: Can Amanda Get The Nod?
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 12 Jul 2025
  • BERLANGA-SHEERAZ, STEVENSON-CEPEDA, MORELL-KHATAEV MAKE WEIGHT IN NEW YORK
    By Dong Secuya, , Sat, 12 Jul 2025
  • Johnny Spell Takes on Chancellor Batttenberg on Saturday, July 19th at the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows in Washington, PA
    , Sat, 12 Jul 2025
  • JV Tuazon, Ador Torres, Lemuel De Barbo, Jomar Fajardo Make Weight for Brico Santig's Highland Show in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Philippine Under-12 Girls Team Shines Bright, Clinches Multiple Medals at 23rd ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships in Penang
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Kenneth “Llover Boy” Takes on “El Nica” Concepcion Aug 17 on Gerry Peñalosa’s Show @ the Winford Resort and Casino Manila (Analysis)
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Undefeated junior middleweight prospect Anthony Velazquez won’t be Boxing’s best kept secret in 2026
    , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Undefeated Gabriela Tellez Returns July 18 at “Night of Champions” Live on DAZN
    , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Dushanbe hosts stacked fight card with Bakhodur Usmonov and Christopher Mouafo headlining IBA.Pro 8
    , Fri, 11 Jul 2025
  • Shakur vs Zepeda & Morrell vs Khataev Fight Analysis
    By Ralph Rimpell, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Peñalosa To Test "Lover Boy" Llover Versus Accomplished Panamanian Veteran Concepcion
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team Begins Brandenburg Cup Prep Camp
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Dream Fight: “Bam” Rodriguez vs “Puma” Martinez on the Horizon
    By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Perez vs Vivas Headlines All Star Boxing's Prueba de Fuego Card on July 25
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Christy Martin Promotions & Ringside Ticket Inc. Present ‘Lopez Vs. Vargas’ Welterweight Battle
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • Vegas Fight Experience Where Authentic Sparring Meets Cinematic Vegas Energy
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • 4 Division World Champion & Hall of Famer Erik Morales Confirmed for Eighth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Mexican Independence Day Weekend, Saturday September 13, in Las Vegas
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • SALITA PROMOTIONS SIGNS FORMER WORLD CHAMPION TONY HARRISON
    , Thu, 10 Jul 2025
  • FIGHT EMPIRE! TUAZON, ADOR, DE BARBO, JOMAR, AND MORE ARE READY FOR ACTION IN BRICO SANTIG'S EXCITING SHOW JULY 12 IN THAILAND
    By Carlos Costa, , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • Shakur Stevenson and David Morrell Face "Crossroad Fights" This Saturday in Queens
    By Ralph Rimpell, , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • Christy Martin’s “Mayhem in Music City 2” to Feature Undefeated Vic Hernandez Facing Jayvon Garnett for NABA & Jr. NABF Featherweight Championships
    , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • James Perkins & Anthony Andreozzi Headlines “Oceanside Prize Fights”
    , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • GORST PURSUES GOLDEN GLORY IN JEDDAH, DEFENDING WORLD POOL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE IN SAUDI ARABIA, 21–26 JULY
    , Wed, 09 Jul 2025
  • Hovhannisyan and Barrientes Set for High-Stakes Showdowns July 18 on DAZN
    , Tue, 08 Jul 2025
  • UNBEATEN PROSPECT KENNETH LLOVER TO FACE FORMER TWO-DIVISION CHAMPION LUIS CONCEPCION IN MANILA
    , Mon, 07 Jul 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.